Fuse clip device



` Dec. 9, 1952 H, H. MCMAHON 2,621,227

FUSE CLIP DEVICE Filed March 4, 1950 Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED .:S TATES #PATEN T lTOFFI CE 2,621,227 FUSE '-'CLIr DEVICE Harold 1H.:;MoMaho'n, Pasadena, iCalif., assignor `to .Illinos Tool Works, Chicago, Ill., azcorpora- -tionof yIllinois f1 This inventionrelateslgenerally"to'f'a fuse :clip device and relates more specically to fa @unitary clip for-'engagingland retaining the `-end of an elongated'itubular fuse.

yIn automotive electric circuits, it is common vpractice fto futilize felongated :tubular "fuses which can be readily inserted between fa pair of clips andcanbelas readily-removed. It has been commonftpra'cti'ee tomanufaicture the clips for holdinglsuchffuses in four parts.4 A clip portion for V'gripping thefperiph'e'ry of'a fuse adjacent to the end 'hasibeen provided :als a singlelvp'art. -`A lange has f-been Iprovided ."for positioning adjacent the lclipfportion'toabut'againstthe :end of the fuse to fprevent'llongitudinal movement vvof the fuse, and Iboth-the `flange Aand vc'lip vportion Yhave been secured 'to a'body or mounting baseloy a rivet or the vlike. Such1iour=piece'construction requires considerable vassembly vtime `and is unnecessarily expensive. Ultimately the connection between the clip and mounting base'becomes corroded and a poorand unreliable electrical contact is made.

'Aprincipal object of this invention is the provision of a unitary fuse clip device which insures a good and enduring electrical contact.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a fuse clip device whichcan 'be more economically ma'nufactured than'those heretofore known in the art.

Other objects and advantages Yof the present invention will be apparent from the following description'when taken in conjunction with'thefaccompanying drawingsin' which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of my fuse clip deviceas applied'to an automobile `generator;

Fig. 2 is an Yexploded perspective View of my fuse clip device;

Fig. 3 is afsection'a'l view as 'taken along the longitudinal axis vof the fuse;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken at right angles to the view in Fig. 3 and also along the longitudinal axis of the fuse;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the fuse clip for securing one end of the fuse;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the fuse clip for securing the other end of the fuse.

The fuse clip device as shown in Fig. 1 is secured to an automobile generator 8 along with a box I by means of a suitable bracket I2. The box may contain a relay or other electrical equipment. As may be seen in Figures 2-4, the fuse clip device comprises an upper clip I4 and a lower clip I6 which are shown in detail in Figures and 6 respectively. Each clip is of unitary integral construction, and is constructed. of sheet metal, preferably 'Phosphor f bronze 5whiiih @has optimum Aqualities .of lelec'trical conductivityfand mechanical strength. The upper clip I4 cornprises a body portion lI8 which fis provided near its upper end with-a screwreceiv'ng aperture-26. The `surface ofthe body portion Ill adjacent Y.to the aperture 2i) is dished outas'atf2'2 and isi-provided `witha slot 24-so1that theed'ge 'of the'apertur'emay be helical iin shap'e'fto'receive and'retain a screw which may/connect a lead wire 125. A similar aperture 26 is provided adjacent"t`othe lower end y"of 'the "body 'fporti'o'n I8` to receive fa mounting 'screw 'as willbefapparent-laten A-pair of `fingers V26 'extend ifror'n the Avfslide's lof'fthe vbody Portion yadjacent to the lot'ver end vthereof and generally normal 'to vthe 'body'portion Each fof the lingers extends traversely ashort distance from the body portionbefore being bentrnorm'al thereto to form a curved vshoulder 3. Each finger then curves inwardly to forma shoulder 32 and extends outwardly again away from the body portion in a substantially cylindrical fuse gripping portion '34K and 'is terminated in a reversely bent cam surface 35.

From the top of eachcylindricalportion 34 a ange 38 extends toward the othercylindrical portion to form abutment means. From the extreme lower edge of vthe body'portion i3, "a locating iinger 40 -'(Fig. 3) extends normally to the body portion and in the `opposite direction from the fingers 2'8 to help determine the position of the clip when itis mounted as will-be apparent hereinafter.

The lower clip I6, fasmay'beseen infFigure, comprises a body portion42 Vof sheet metal and is provided with an aperture 44 for Yreceiving Va mounting screw and withl a 'nub '46 which helps to determine the mounting position of the clip. The body portion comprisesa'piece of sheet metal, the majority of which is flat. The body portion is provided with a substantially U-shaped offset 41 which terminates in a section 48 displaced somewhat from the plane of the remainder of the body portion 42. A pair of fingers 50 extend normally outward from the section 48 and are similar to the ngers 28 including cylindrical fuse engaging portions 52, but omitting structure analogous to the flanges 38 of the upper clip I4. Rather than extending from the sides of the body portion, one of the fingers 50 extends from the end of the section 48 which is the extremity of the body portion and the other nger 50 is struck out of the U-shaped offset 46 and extends from the inner edge of the section 48. An abutment linger 54 extends outwardly from the section 48 and is aeanaav substantially normal to both the body portion and the ngers 50. The abutment finger 54 is provided with an oilset 56 to provide resiliency and to position an abutment surface 58 terminating in a cam surface 60, adjacent to the lower edges of the fingers 50.

Mounting structure for the clips I4 and I6 is shown in Fig. 2 and includes a sheet metal bracket 62 having an apertured flange G4 which may be secured to the bracket l2 shown in Fig. 1. Adjacent to the flange 64 and perpendicular thereto is a side wall 66. A second side wall 68 is spaced from the side wall y66 by a wall 'lil and is provided with a cut-out portion i2 to accommodate the U-shaped offset 46 of the lower clip I6. A iiange i4 extends perpendicularly from the side Wall 68. The ange 'Hl is apertured to receive a mounting screw 'I6 which cooperates with the aperture 26 in the upper clip I4 to secure the clip in place. A washer 'i8 may be provided beneath the headof the screw 76. In Figure 3 it may be seen that the finger 49 overlies the edge of the flange 711 to preclude rotation of the clip iii about the screw i6.

An insulating member 89 ts against the wall 'i9 between the wide walls 66 and 68 and may be secured t the wall 'i6 by means such as rivets 13. The insulating member 86 is provided at each end with an extending tongue 62 which frictionally engage the edges of slots 8:1 in the cover or box i6 to secure the box on the bracket 62. 1t is to be understood that additional electrical equipment such as a relay could be mounted on the bracket 62 and within the box i9, but that this invention is not concerned with such equipment. A cross-shaped connecting member 85 is secured to the insulating member 90 ad jacent to the top thereof by means such as rivets 86. The bracket 62 is apertured in the vicinity of the rivets 85 as the connecting member B6 must have no electric connection with the bracket 62. One arm of the member S extends upwardly and is provided with an aperture 88 with a helical edge similar to the aperture 2i) previously described in order to coact with a screw to secure a lead wire 96. The lower leg 92 of the connecting member 85 is slightly onset from the remainder of the member so as to be spaced from the insulating member 66. The leg 92 and the insulating member 89 are provided with aligned apertures. The clip i6 is placed with the body portion di?. against the insulating member 66 and beneath the leg 92 and is secured in this position by a screw Sie extending through the aperture Sri and through the aligned apertures in the insulating member 80 and leg The screw is retained by a nut 96 on the other side of the insulating member 86, it being understood that the bracket 62 is apertured or relieved in the vicinity of the nut 96 to preclude electrical contact between the clip I6 and the bracket 62. With the clips mounted as just described, an elongated tubular fuse 98 having metal contacts i961 at each end, may be readily inserted in the clips as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The cam surfaces at the tips of the clip iingers facilitating positioning and the inherent resiliency of the metal ngers insure a good electrical contact between the clips and the fuse.

With the integral one-piece construction of each fuse clip herein disclosed, better and more enduring electric contact is insured than is possible with prior fuse clips of multi-piece construction. Additionally, the fuse clips herein disclosed may be more rapidly and economically manufactured than those heretofore known.

Although a specific illustration of my invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that I do not intend to be limited thereby, but only by the following claim.

I claim:

A unitary fuse retaining clip structure comprising an elongated strip of sheet metal, a pair or opposed sheet metal iingers integral with and extending substantially normally to said strip substantially at one end thereof for receiving and resiliently gripping one end of an elongated tubular fuse arranged at right agles to said elongated strip, at least one of said iingers being struck out from within the peripheral margin of the strip, means Aof limited cross section compared to the width of the strip on the en d of the strip opposite the fingers for coaction with a workpiece to prevent rotation oi the clipstructure relative to the workpiece, said strip having an aperture intermediate said coacting means and said ngers adapted to receive a fastener to secure the clip structure to a workpiece, and abutment means integral with and extending substantially normally to said strip and said ngers across one end of the space included by said Fingers to limit longitudinal movement of a fuse.

HAROLD H. MCMAHON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the.

le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,025,246 Cole May'fl, 1912 1,218,221 Smith Mar. 6, 1917 1,611,183 Frasse Dec. 21, 1926 1,983,281 Fries et al. Dec. fi, 1934 2,432,966 Del Camp Dec. 6,1947 2,434,211 Hull et al. Jan. 6, 1948 2,526,201 Daly Oct. 17, 1950 

